13.12.12

I finished reading the parasha for this week, and felt compelled to write a short entry about it. This parasha, "miketz", is probably one of my most favorite portions to read. Every year when I read it strikes more for its simplicity, yet complexity in regard to the several story lines, such as Yosef's relationship with his brothers. I'm affected every time I read about Yosef crying, and I myself want to cry for the overwhelming emotions involved. As I read the parasha, I am hooked as if reading a modern thriller, wanting to read more and more, as if I have not read it dozens of times already!

I could write a whole essay on the beauty of this story, the lessons we can learn about human nature. Before our very eyes we see the maturity of Yosef, who began as a little spoiled and perhaps even bratty, to a strong, humble man in control over a vast kingdom. He never sought revenge on those who harmed him, and even forgave his brothers, who sought to kill him, but were "satisfied" to only sell him into slavery. We also get to see the change in his brothers, which is no less remarkable.

One note about the style of the Biblical narrative. I noticed during this reading that Yehuda tells his father that they told about Binyamin (ch. 43, v. 7) because the ruler (Yosef) asked if they had another brother. Odd enough in the account that is given to us in chapter 42 it seems as if they volunteer the information to Yosef. First of all, it is possible that Yehuda was lying to Ya'akov to cover themselves- a very feasible answer. Nonetheless, I think it gives a witness to the unique style in these stories, which do not claim to be giving a full, detailed account. There's a brevity in the narration, which leaves us wanting for more a times, but also allows us to imagine and fill in possibilities for ourselves. I am sure that the complexity in the human interactions was no different than those today, as we know there is nothing new under the sun.

I may have finished reading the parasha for this year, but I'm excited about reading it again next year!

29.9.12

The following are excerpts from the first issue of a journal published in 1910 in Johannesburg, entitled The Messianic Jew. The authors (5 Jewish, 2 Gentile) laid out a program for living with Jewish identity, lifestyle, and purpose within the community of Israel, as opposed to assimilation into the Gentile Christian world. Their ideas were judged "heretical" and roundly condemned by other contemporary "Hebrew Christians." (For part of that story, see Messianic Judaism vs. Hebrew Christianity in 1917.)

Has anything much changed since then, except that Hebrew Christians -- after viciously maligning and condemning Messianic Jews for a century -- now call themselves "Messianic Jews"?

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It is truly deplorable that Jewish Christians, who should constitute the "True Israel of God," have allowed themselves to become detached from their own people and have, by complacently accommodating themselves within the sphere of Gentile Christendom, neglected and ignored the very things which should have been most precious to them. [p. 1]

Criticising others is always a delicate matter, and especially will this be an unpleasant task when those concerned may bear honoured names, but things have reached a stage when, we feel, true and good service can only be rendered by speaking the unvarnished truth, no matter how unpalatable it may be. [p. 2]

That is to say, we Gentiles are the "proselytes," if any there be, while those of Israel are the original heirs. Thus Gentile pride has completely overturned the Divine order, and has perverted the Hebrew Christian's consciousness from the very start. And Hebrew Christians have submitted, and are still submitting, to this perversion. Incalculable harm has thus been done.... The error being fundamental, the whole superstructure is hopelessly out of line. This grievous wrong on the part of Gentile Christianity needs confession and, as far as possible, correction and redress. [p. 4]

You owe this testimony to your nation.... Follow Paul's example. It is sound and safe.... His final testimony to the elders of the Synagogue at Rome was: "Men and brethren, I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers." (Acts 26:17). Would to God that every Hebrew Christian could speak thus. [p. 7]

I cannot help but feel that only a Jewish Christianity which does not seek to deck itself with foreign plumage, but takes its nourishment from the depths of Jewish national life and custom and awakens Jewish memories and hopes, only such a Christianity is capable of transforming the Jewish people from being the greatest opponents of the Gospel, into the greatest messengers of God's saving grace to mankind. But alas! the attitude of most Hebrew Christians upon this question is one of carelessness and, in some instances, of hostility. Permit me further to emphasise the fact that to millions of good and orthodox Jews, Hebrew Christianity as it stands to-day does not convey the idea of a thorough moral change, but rather the idea of the abandonment of Jewish distinctiveness and a general contempt for all that is dear to the Jewish heart. [pp. 8-9]

Allow me to say that I fully endorse what may be termed the "Minimum-programme"...: That Hebrew Christians should observe Circumcision, the Sabbath, the Jewish Festivals, and that every effort should be made to revive the Hebrew language.... We should show to our unconverted brethren that we are not "Meshumadim" (renegades [or converts]), but, on the contrary, genuine, patriotic Jews, true sons and daughters of Israel. [p. 9]

...by way of a Manifesto...: (1) That the policy of complete assimilation, which Hebrew Christians are now pursuing, is having an injurious effect upon themselves, their children and their people. It has become one of the greatest obstacles in the way of Jews seriously considering the true claim of Jesus as Israel's Messiah.... (4) ...our children will grow up with a living consciousness that ours is Messianic (Biblical) Judaism, in contradistinction to Rabinnic.... [p. 11]

As long as the Grecian calendar was in vogue, agreeing as it does to a great extent with the Jewish calendar, the Jewish and Gentile believers in Jesus, as well as the rest of the Jewish people, celebrated the Feast of Chanucah at one and the same time. As, however, the church became more and more Gentilised, until the Gentile branch dominated the Jewish root from whence it had sprung, culminating in the adoption of the solar calendar as opposed to the lunar calendar of the Jews, not only was the month changed, but the origin of Christmas was almost entirely lost sight of. [p. 16]

Apart from the fact that anything which tends to efface the distinctiveness of the Jew must be directly contrary to God's will, it will be apparent that a Gospel which couples with itself denationalisation and absorption, must be distasteful and meet with violent opposition.... The Japanese are a patriotic and loyal people.... How would such a message as this be received, and how many Japanese would accept Jesus under such conditions? And the heritage of the Japanese is not the heritage of the Jew, who looks back upon a past with which God Himself is intimately bound up, and who can look into a future such as can no other nation, and if the Japanese looks askance upon a teaching which would stifle every national feeling, how much more the Jew? And what is the remedy? The answer is not far to seek. Jesus must be stripped of the "Gentile" garb which the Jew sees around Him, and must be revealed in His true form, as an Israelite, as one who, in the truest sense, was a Hebrew, as one who came not to destroy, not to change, not to "Gentilise," but to fulfil. And Jesus cannot be stripped of His "Gentile" garb and stand revealed to the Jew as a Jew until the believing Israelite himself comes to a true understanding of his position, and until the attitude of the Gentile Christian world toward the believing Jew is also altered. [p. 19]

[Biblical] Jewish customs and institutions can never be put down as idolatrous and sinful. They were instituted by God Himself, and were ordained as part of His Divine service. [p. 22]

2.8.12

Bring all the tenth to the treasure house and let there be a portion in my house. And do test me in this, says YHVH of hosts, if I shall not open to you+ the skies, and I shall empty to you+ blessing until no stop—Mal'achi 3:10

And then the baskets are passed around. Or a member of the congregation, having been delegated the task of a brief explanation for this part of the weekend service, explains that God wants us to give him one tenth of our incomes to support "the work of the Lord". Or the pastor sermonizes on the symbolism of the tithe—that in fact all of our money belongs to God; this tax-free, relinquished fraction is symbolic of the whole.

Let us acknowledge that countless Christian and MJ church-goers give a tenth—surely sometimes even more—of their earnings out of deep adoration of the God of heaven and earth. And they do so sacrificially, believing that our God notices each of us and will provide. In so doing they express their reliance on God and not on their finances. Perhaps many think of Markos' report of how Yeshua spoke well of a widow for donating to the temple's treasure house "out of her poverty, [giving] all that she had to live on." I am confident that God sees what such folks do and is very pleased with those individuals because of their motivation to give and the trust they display by their action.

Ecclesiastic theology connects this traditional Christian practice of handing-in a tithe to a church directly to the standard tithe mandated for 'Am Yisra'el. But from my personal bible study, this teaching is erroneously based on the biblical tithe both from a hermeneutical and practical standpoint. To be clear: this post isn't a judgment of the tithe-er, but rather a criticism of the widespread theology that determines the output of folks' readiness to offer up to God what the world generally considers livelihood. (Though of course I want to encourage folks to keep God's commands even if that means changing even well-intentioned current practice.) Moshe gave Yisra'el an altogether different description of the tithe, both in purpose and practice. I here embark on a worthy topic not only because of the direct consequences and benefits of refining our understanding of God's commands, but also because doing so opens us up to an honest way of thinking about what a physical church or messianic congregation (including their services) is: a club house. Even more, this topic gives us an opportunity to re-examine the apparent normalcy of the modern structure of our societies in terms of how we relate to the poor.

12.7.12

KosherVitamins.com is offering "Easy Fast" pills to aid people on Yom Kippur. Now, some of these are specifically for pregnant and nursing women, who perhaps should not be fasting anyway [one relevant discussion can be found at A Mother in Israel]. But there are also pills for everyone that are designed to "curb appetite" and "control thirst." Does this make sense? Should one even want or wish others an "easy" fast? Isn't the whole point of fasting that it can be one way of humbling or afflicting the soul (תְּעַנּוּ אֶת־נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם, וְעִנִּיתֶם אֶת־נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם, Lev. 16:29 & 16:31, Num. 29:7)?

On a related note, is the rabbinic prohibition of bathing and oils contradicted by Matt. 6:16-18 ("when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face")?

3.7.12

Recently I received two pieces of writing on the topic of which foods are permissible for Jews to eat. One author, calling himself a Messianic Jew, argued that we can eat "anything" and that it would be wrong to make any restrictive rules, since this is what "Paul's writings" say. The other, an Orthodox Jew, discussed the intricacies of different (contradictory) rulings concerning whether one is allowed to eat a certain kind of vegetable if there is a possibility that a Gentile might have touched it at some point. He concluded that in some cases it is ok.

Right now I don't want to get into all the reasons why each of these "authoritative" and widely accepted opinions is (in my own humble opinion, of course) wrong, unbiblical, illogical, and offensive. I hear these two kinds of opinions over and over and over from these two camps, and I simply don't have the energy to keep responding to them every time. I just want to point out that we desperately need a different way. A true way. A way that is based on what Torah actually says -- about food and everything else in life.